Literature Within the Tree - Emmy Jones
Introduction The definition of literature has taken many more definitions than Plato could have ever imagined, and he would be mortified at the thought of how many mediums are considered to be literature. Plato speaks about his views on written text, "it destroys memory and enfeebles the mind by relieving it of too much work." He believes that orality is the only true form of literature. There are multiple forms of media that are finding their way to becoming a new form of literature. Within in the last decade, there has been a large increase in the practices of "fan fiction". Authors are beginning to see their characters remade into new stories that have been written by their loving fans. Even musicians are seeing their fans do covers and mash up's of their songs. Some people love seeing what their fans have to say, others do not. Regardless, we have the internet to thank for these trends, because without it, these fan-driven reinventions would be nonexistent. We are living in a world completely controlled by media and what it has to say, whether it is from a professional critique or an average Joe who wants express his feelings. The internet helped me discover what I consider, one of the best teen dramas created. One Tree Hill is a series that is so relatable to common people and I could not get enough of it. It consists of family fights, relationship problems, and all the things a basic high school student faces. There are not many shows that have been so successful that they have been able to run for more than 5 years, but One Tree Hill ran for 9 years. While literature is normally thought of as a physical text, this show would be considered a new form. The main reason so many people are willing to give it this label is because it has a lasting artistic merit. This show means so much to so many people. The fanbase for this show is so supportive and that is why it is so prominent even after it has ended. The online community will never let this show die again. Most of the One Tree Hill's fans, like me, had never even heard of it until after production had ended. But, because of the "Wired World" we live in, when it was added to Netflix, Twitter exploded with talk about this teen drama. This One Tree Hill epidemic brought fans begging for more. Online communities called Fandoms were formed so that fans across the country could interact and respond to each other. The Fandoms discuss things like conspiracy theories, spoilers, and upcoming events in the shows. Without the internet and these online communities, all forms of media and literature would not influence people the way it does now. Some argue that we are too dependent on the internet and while that may be, the internet provides so much for upcoming authors, writers, producers, and musicians. Without it, discussions would be limited to book clubs. The internet makes it possible for people to share their thoughts and ideas from all over the world. So many critiques are quick to say that not just anything can be considered literature or art, however, it is unfair to consider a novel a piece of literature and not consider the movie that it is based off of not. Different forms of media are scrutinized because they are not traditional forms. Walter Ong writes, "Plato's charge that writing is inhuman, thing-like, and that it destroys memory." Plato believes that only spoken word should be considered literature, yet that is what movies and television shows are and this notion is still being rejected. Times are changing and this modernized world is taking over. Literature is evolving as a whole and we must realize there is no capacity for what we can consider to fall into this category. This evolution is even going as far as considering video games as art. We begin to realize that we are modernizing the way we think about what media does for people and the experience that it gives us. In Nicholas Carr's, 'Is Google Making Us Stupid?', he says, "What if I do all my reading on the web not so much because the way I read has changed, i.e. I'm just seeking convenience, but because the way I THINK has changed?" Older generations are always speaking badly on younger people who use the internet, but that is all some people have ever known and its only going to keep evolving. As we keep evolving we see how much the internet is involved in our lives. We use it on a daily basis and its become a second nature us. Now, most of the reading we do is online, whether it be a form of social media, Online articles, or E-books. The internet has brought so much publicity to literature and it only continues to grow. Within the newly founded Fandoms and Online communities discussing One Tree Hill. There we will explore all of the things fans have to offer, such what they think about authorial intentions, knowledge communities and seeing some interpretive disputes. Heading 2 Heading 3 References